Process of sterilizing liquids.



J.. MERIE.

PROCESS OF STERILIZING LIQUIDS.

I APPUCATION FILED APR. 17,.1914. 1,230 1 Patented June 19, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

erie

ATTORNEYS 'very -J'EA.N MEBIE. OF PARIS.'FR.AIN'GE.

PROCESS OF STERILIZING LIQUIDS.

' Specification of Letters Patent. I

Application filed April 17, 1914. Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that Rue dAlsia, in the city of Paris, Republic of France, have invented Improvements in the Process of sterilizing Liquids, of which the following is a scription. v

In the specification of my pending patent application filed December 18th,1912, Serial No. 737 ,4L12,'I have described a process of sterilizing milk in which the milk, protected ,from the air, is'continuously circulated unthrough conduitsder constant pressure which are of constant area in order to avoid, in the course of the operation, any prolonged contact of the milk with the walls of the apparatus and any expansion of the liquid likely to lead to the liberation of the gases dissolved in the milk. I l

The apparatus by means of which this process is carried into effect, comprises a sterilizing apparatus oroper and a 'heatrecuperator or 800110111121 connected there'- with, in which the milk to be sterilized is brought gradually to a temperature very near to the sterilizing temperature before it is admitted to the sterilizing the heat given off by the sterllized milk flowing out of the latter.

The present invention relates to improvemsents in this process of sterilization and has for an object to permit of theinitial sterilization of theapparatus before the liquid to be treated is admitted thereto and to bring about the sterilization of commencement of theoperation so that at no time shall there be any prolonged contact of the liquid with the walls of the apparatus or any stoppage ofits circulation, from which it follows that at no time during the operation is there produced either scorching of the casein or caramelization of the lactose.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the sterilizing apparatus the present process is carried out;

Figure 1 shows in a plan view the whole of the sterilizing apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing an elevation of a heat-recuperating device partially in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal-section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2. i

Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the schematically wherein valves and chamber in the outlet of the coil of the sterilizer proper.

I, JEAN Miinm,of 135 full, clear, and exact de- 5 apparatus, by 1 the liquid at the nozzles Z,

Patented June 19,1917. ssaeeof i As shown in 'the drawing, such sterilizing apparatus comprises: i

. 1. Two heat-recuperating. or economizing consisting of several superposed elements, each of which, as shown by Figs. 2 and 3, is constituted by two sheets of tinned copper a 0?, spirally coiled, about a core 6; the said sheets are joined together by bands 0 which alternately close the said elements on' the upper side and on the lower side, as sho'wninFig. 2. v The bands 0 serve to connect the sheets 01?, a and maintain be.- tween the latter the space of the liquid. Thus each element comprises two channels d, e, the one being open at the bottom and the other at the top. Two sucdevices a, a,

for the circulation cessive elements are separated by two sheets of rubber f or otherielastic material, between which is" placed a copper plate g. Above and underneath the apparatus are two strong plates h, 2', which may be connected with each other by bolts, whereby the Whole is united. 2. A heater or sterilizer constituted by a vessel j, heated in any suitable manner and crossed by parallel tubes is, connected on the outside of the vessel by removable intercommunications. The said tubes constitute a coil immersed in water in the vessel, the water forming a water bath, the temperature of which may be easily regulated, so that the same remains constant.

The liquid to be treated comes by a pipe Z and enters the channel (Z of each element of the first heat-recuperating device a; by

and flows through the said channel; and then flows out through the nozzles m and is introduced from the conduit minto channel d of each element of heat-recuperating device a. On leaving the latter, the liquid passes through the pipe 1' to the coil is ofthe sterilizer proper. The sterilized liquid on fiowing'out of the latter is introduced from the conduit 0 into the channels 6 of the heat-recuperator a, then on leaving the latter flows through the pipe 7) into the channels 6 of'the heatrecuperating the seconddevice a, and finally flows out of the apparatus through the pipe'q.

and a closed tank 8 which actsv 1, and an inlet for milk or other liquid to inlet, the pressure at the outlet stant, for a constant I I the water inlet 1. The

' is heated to the sterilizing temperature.

a, a, the coil is of the be sterilized, is indicated at 2,,rcocks controlling said inlets.' I

On the inlet and outlet of the first heatrecuperator a are mounted two valves or cocks t,' u, and two pressure gages o, to, which permit of regulating the discharge of the liquid at the desired pressure.

The inlet valve 2, being quite open, it may be ascertained on the pressure gage 1) Whether the pressure, liquid is forced, corresponds to the pressure or tension of the vapor at the sterilizing temperature; by adjusting the outlet piping; then the sterilizer filling with Water the ratus, that is to say,

the whole of the Theoutlet cock u is then slightly opened,

the water contained in the sterilizer coil 70.

is evaporated and the steam so formed forces the water in front of it; when the steam appears at the cock u, the operator is thus warned'that the apparatusis sterilized.

When this sterilization is cock u is closed and water is forced by the pump r into the apparatus for filling it duced so. that the I the temperature has reached. 80?

slightly again. When the apparatus is filled with Water and the cocks .of the circulationclosed, the sterilizer is heated, preferably by admiting in the water bath of the sterilizer, until the whole of the apparatus is brought into the normal condition of service. When 0., for int, u are stance, the circulation valves.

liquid entering the apparatus increases rapidly and in a few minutes-reaches very nearly the sterilizing temperature (about 110".) its passage into the heatedsterilizer at last giving it the temperature required for the sterilization, (115).

When equilibrium of temera'tu're or the normal condition of. service lished the water inlet is closed and milk is introduced into the apparatus through the .milk inlet 2, from a'reservoir maiiitained at necessary. to equilibrake the the pressure tension of the vapors produced at the steri lizing temperature." Thusthe milk is intro- 4 operation may proceed without'change, stoppage, or expansion, the milk forcing the water infront of it to and out of the outlet." 4

, The sterilization of the milkis thus effectunder which the 'ately after the exit operation, the appa-- completed the purge cock 2 is opened in opened, the temperature of the tion of the sterilized water.

as been estab-- the sterilizer is stopped, .to begin sary to expel the milk to the last drop in or der not to leave any of it in prolonged con tact with the hot walls of the passages; to this end the inlet for the milk. is closed and the apparatus is filled with water immediof the milk, while continuing to heat the sterilizer, so that the-said cleaning water is itself sterilized. The water so introduced forces in front of it the milk which is still in the apparatus. Water is so forced through the apparatus until such water is delivered quite clear.

The apparatus thus cleans itself by the passage of the hot water and may remain in operation for several weeks without being taken to pieces if the precaution be observed of passing through it an alkaline solution from time to time in order to get rid of the greasy residues whichadhere to the walls.

4 At the end of remains full of water under pressure.

In order to avoid, when the heating of the sterilizer is stopped, the water which, has not each operation the sterilizer yet passed through the sterilizer (and which has not been-sterilized) from contaminatingthe sterilized water which has passed through the sterilizer,

the exit pipe of the sterilizer is'provided with a set of valves by means of which this contamination is avoided.

On the outlet pipe of the coil, It of the sterilizing apparatus are arranged two valves w, 00 mounted at each end of a chamber y which is provided with a purge cock 2'. When the two valves 06, m are closed the order to empty the chamber 3 which is then dried by heating it by a flame so as to create between the two valves 02, ac a dry and sterilized chamber.

It will be understood that when the apparatus is filled with water at the close of an operation and'the heating of the sterilizer is I stopped, the above described arrangement is used to separate thesterilized water which has passed. through the sterilizer from the unsterllized water and prevent contamina- With this arrangemeiitit is not necessary, when the operation ceases and the heatin'gpf the whole process anew.

When the apparatus into operation the valves :20, as, are opened to allow passage therethrough only at the moment when the waterwhich the coil is of the heating device or sterilizer contains has reached the sterilizing temperature.

Beer, wine, cider, alimentary liquids as well as water,

may be treated by this improved process.

'is to be put again and in fact 311 kinds (5f Claims:

1. A process for sterilizing alimentary liquids in a sterilizing apparatus, consisting in sending Water into the Whole of the apparatus, at the beginning of the operation, in bringing this Water to the sterilizing tem perature, in causing said Water to be, displaced by the liquid to be treated and,.at the end of the operation, in displacing by Water the liquid which has been treated.

2. In a process for sterilizing alimentary liquids in a sterilizing apparatus, displacing by water the liquid which has been treated leaving the apparatus full of water when the operation ceases, and'separating the sterilized Water which has passed through the sterilizer from the unsterilized water in the apparatus.

3.'A process forv sterilizing alimentary liquids in a sterilizing apparatus, consisting insending water into the whole of the appa ratus at the beginning of the operation, in

bringing the water to the sterilizing temperature, in displacing said water by the liquid to be treated, then, a little before stopping the operation, in displacing by Water the liquid Whichhas been treated, and finally in separating the sterilized water in the apparatus from the unsterilized Water, to prevent,

, while the apparatus is at rest, the contamination of the sterilized Water. A

The foregoing specification of my im-.

provements in the process of and in apparatus for sterilizing liquids signed by me this second day of April, 1914.

v JEAN MERIE.

'Witnesses:

CHAS. P..PRESSLY, Ram: Trainer. 

